


A Rich Man's Game

by Kumikoko



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Father Erwin, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Profanity, World War 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 09:17:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13431651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kumikoko/pseuds/Kumikoko
Summary: On a moonlit night, Erwin and Levi head home together, never expecting that their lives are about to change forever.





	A Rich Man's Game

**Author's Note:**

> This is not a graphic non-con story. 
> 
> Erwin is German 'cuz how could he not be German? omg. And Levi is French because how could he ever be anything else? Armin is...Armin is...? 
> 
> Anyways, the era the story is wrote in is loosely World War 1. I tried to reflect little tidbits of that throughout the story. But I think I referenced modern German outfits. Ooops. 
> 
> I really want to see more Father Erwin to Armin fanfics.

A Rich Man's Game

 

It was a quiet, moonlit night.

A couple walked along the cobblestone street. Their even steps were in tune with their calm breaths.

One man was tall, and blonde with astute, blue eyes. He was adorned in a grey, German military uniform with a black, and gold insignia on his shoulder to reveal his rank as a Commander.

The other fair-skinned guy lacked height, and had dark hair. He wore a similar grey military uniform, though his insignia indicated his ranking was that of a Captain.

Neither of them spoke, preferring the silence over mindless prattle.

They were on their way home, after a long day spent on the military base. The Commander, Erwin Smith, was tired after poring over numerous war strategies. His right hand man, the Captain, Levi Ackerman, was just as exhausted, from whipping troublesome new recruits into shape.

Their jobs had not been particularly rewarding, recently. There were too many deaths, and too many losses to celebrate the little victories. Many strong, masculine German men were dying by the thousands, fighting a war Germany did not want to engage in. And with so many lives lost already, and to be lost, Erwin even felt guilty for retreating home tonight but if he had to look over one more map, he was going to snap. He  took in a breath and inhaled smoke. He looked to Levi, who was so stressed out that he was smoking another cigarette.

“Isn’t that your second one, just this hour?” Erwin asked, his tone sharper then he had intended it to be. Levi took a long drag off of the cigarette, then he exhaled the white smoke even slower.

“Maybe.” Levi defended indignantly, matching Erwin’s hostile tone. Erwin grimaced, and reminded himself that the day had been long for everyone. He decided that he was not about to deprive Levi of his nicotine fix after all. They each had their vices.

Quick, unsteady movement caught Erwin and Levi’s attention at the same time. They stood straight, shoulders tensing with apprehension and saw a kid hastily round the corner of the building. The little blonde—girl—they assumed, because of the long, messy, tangled hair and petite frame—tripped—no, collapsed—on to the ground in front of them while groaning.

The child's breaths were ragged, and harsh, as if ‘she’ had been running for a long time. ‘Her’ clothes were torn jaggedly, and from what little the adults could see, ‘she’ was covered in bruises, and scars. ‘She’ strained, and with a determined grunt, pushed ‘herself’ on to her elbows and craned ‘her’ head up to look at them.

‘She’ focused ‘her’ scared blue eyes on to Erwin, and locked on to the insignia. ‘She’ panted as ‘she’ heaved to ‘her’ feet, and stepped towards Erwin, but stopped when ‘she’ saw a ruthless killer behind otherwise deceptively gentle eyes. ‘She’ hesitated, and looked to Levi, who, while he was intimidating, his dark eyes held a honest warmth to them that made ‘her’ stumble straight towards him despite his lower rank. 

One step was all ‘she’ could manage before the color drained from 'her' face while the skin bunched up to express pain. Another pained noise emitted from 'her' throat.

“What the—“ Levi began to ask in alarm until the ‘girl’ fell again, from unsteady, trembling legs. As a trained soldier, Levi instinctively lunged forwards and caught ‘her’ in his arms. 'She' grabbed at his arms for support. Her grip was tight, despite how her hands trembled.

“H-help.” The ‘girl’ whispered, as ‘she’ struggled to stand even with his support. Levi noted the desperation in ‘her’ voice and was about to comment on it when a hefty man appeared from around the corner. He was panting, and sweating like a pig, but he still had the energy to point at the ‘girl.’

“Hey you little…bitch! I still have…thirty minutes left to…keep fucking your tight ass.” Yelled the mystery man, who apparently didn’t notice Erwin and Levi to be members of the military. Or maybe he just did not care. That fur coat he wore suggested he had money enough to not care. He charged forwards to grab the ‘girl.’

“Heek!” The ‘girl’ shrieked with terror and clumsily ducked behind Levi, and held on to him tightly. Levi tensed, while Erwin stepped in front of Levi and the trembling ‘girl who cried noisily. 

“Excuse me. You are aware that child prostitution is illegal?” Erwin mentioned, with a raised, questioning eyebrow. The fat man stopped in his pursuit and tried to see around Erwin, not bothered by the mention of the law. “Child prostitution is downright criminal. I suggest you leave her alone.”

“Oh, how much do you fucks want? I have cash. Just take it and go. I paid for him, so hand him over.” Responded the fat man irritably, as he pulled a wallet out of his pocket. "I am on a strict time limit."

“Nnn!” A scared whine left the ‘girl’s’ lips, and ‘she’ dug ‘her’ fingers into Levi’s uniform. ‘She’ was staring at the wallet with perpetual fear.

Everyone knew that money talked, even children.

“ _Him_?”  Erwin repeated, caught off guard. He glanced back to the ‘girl’ and still did not believe what he heard. The ‘girl’ caught Erwin’s questioning stare and averted his gaze, as if the reveal of his gender would damper his chances of being rescued. Erwin stretched his hand back, and clapped it over the boy’s shoulder to reassure him that gender did not matter to him. The _boy_ flinched at the touch, and pressed himself against Levi. His legs were trembling, and he was growing paler, as if he was enduring pain. He looked like he was about to pass out. 

“ _Ugh_ , you’re fucking little boys?” Levi griped, frowning with blatant disgust. He looked over his shoulder at the boy clinging to him for dear life. “Did he fucking touch you?” Levi demanded, and saw those big, blue orbs glisten with fresh tears as the boy cowered and answered with silence. 

It was a expression Levi and Erwin had seen a lot during their time in the military, and on the field of battle where some soldiers from all participating sides of the war took an enemy hostage, usually a female, and raped her. As illegal as that was, it still occurred and was written off as the spoils of war. Neither Erwin, nor Levi had engaged in the rape of opposing soldiers nor citizens, but they knew that it wasn't unheard of.

“Of course I fucked him. I paid to fuck him. Now I am paying both of you handsomely to let me take what’s mine so I can fuck him again.” The man admitted, now holding cash out to Erwin. “Here. Take it. No one needs to know about this.”

“N-no, no, _p-please_ …!” The boy begged frantically, his strained voice was hoarse. He nuzzled his wet face against Levi’s side, in a desperate attempt to appeal to the adult’s. If he was a cute enough boy, maybe they _would_ save him. "I don't want to!" 

“Damn it. Someone read the Peter Piper story too much." Levi muttered, and looked to his commander. "Erwin, look the other way.” Levi said before taking one long, last drag of the cigarette. He dropped it on to the ground and smushed it with the tip of his combat boot, as an eerie precursor for what was to come. “This is going to get messy.” Levi muttered as he pushed Erwin aside, and approached the man.

Without support, the boy fell, unable to bare his weight on his damaged ankles. Erwin caught the boy’s arm, but after hearing the little blonde cry out, Erwin quickly helped lower him to the ground, while Levi advanced on the fat arrogant fuck.

Their jobs as soldiers was to protect citizens at any cost. Violence was usually discouraged but Levi lived in the real world where pretty placating words were too often ineffective. 

 A horrified gasp sounded from the boy’s throat as Levi began to beat the man to death. Erwin knelt down in front of the little blonde to block his view of the violent crime happening behind them. He reached his arms out, and let the boy lean against him. He collapsed against Erwin with a groan, favoring his swollen, inflamed ankles.

 _Shit_. Erwin thought, looking at the boy’s exposed ankles, that were heavily bruised. He had heard stories like this before—that rich men would kidnap young boys, break their ankles, and whore them out to the highest bidder. The boy must have escaped on pure adrenaline, because he _shouldn’t_ be standing.

At _all_.

And he seemed to know this too, with the way he tentatively touched one of his tender ankles and whimpered from what must have been severe pain. Erwin wanted desperately to address the question of _what the fuck_ happened to this child, but he reluctantly decided on a more formal approach.

“What is your name?” Erwin asked, after pushing the rest of his questions aside. The little blonde tiredly leaned his head against Erwin’s sturdy body, his breathing labored. His agonized blue eyes were distant, and fogged over with tears.

“A-Armin…” The child responded, and continued to finger his tortured ankle and hiss. Erwin noted the pain in the boy’s voice, and was glad Levi was pounding the shit out of that asshole. Armin was sweating, and faint. Erwin slowly pushed some of his hair off of his pale face.

“Well, Armin. You are safe now. Do you have a home I can bring you to?” Erwin inquired, and resisted his urge to paw at Armin’s wounds. He did not want to scare Armin away. Armin shook his head left, and then right as he continued to pant. At this point, Erwin could only guess the harsh breaths were pain induced, and not so much exhaustion as he previously thought.

 _Ah. An orphan. He was an easy target. No one would miss him_. Erwin realized, and felt satisfaction as cracking bones, and wails echoed behind him. If the young boy had not escaped on his own, he potentially could have been a whore for years, against his will.

“You sick fuck! Did he tell you no?” _Crack_!  “How many times did he beg you to stop?” Levi’s angry voice was heard in the background, alongside the pathetic cries of the man. By the sound of it, Levi was not showing the guy any mercy. Armin sure hadn’t received any of that based on the bruises around his wrists and blood smeared thighs.

Little Armin slumped heavily against Erwin, his tired eyes drooping. _The adrenaline must be wearing off_. Erwin assumed, as Armin’s body slackened, and curled in on itself. He could hear pain behind the heavy breaths in the form of involuntary whimpers, and whines.

It was impressive, to Erwin, that the boy had enough self-control to not wail like he probably wanted to. Or was it pride? Erwin was not sure, but he knew he needed to take the boy home.  The hospitals were full of injured soldiers who had returned home, and women who were injured in the factory, doing their husband's work in his absence. Erwin slid his arms around Armin, and pulled him closer.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.” Levi stated firmly, as he approached his lover, and the stray, trembling kid. His knuckles were bloody. Erwin nodded and began to shift Armin into his arms. Levi bent and plucked Armin right out of Erwin’s arms. Erwin parted his lips with surprise. Armin lifted a hand and pawed curiously at the splattered blood on Levi's face. 

“You may want me to hold him.” Erwin suggested gently, and tried to take Armin back from Levi. Levi turned sharply, and held Armin protectively. Armin gasped at the quick, jarring movement.

“What? You think I can’t be gentle?” Levi scoffed defensively, as he turned his nose up into the air. Erwin hesitated, then cleared his throat and reworded his sentence. 

“I…was not insinuating that at all…I just meant that we both have to be careful with him and you…” Erwin spoke tentatively, as he struggled to choose the words that would not make Levi more of a defensive prick. After a moment of grappling for words, Erwin decided to not beat around the bush after all. “You hate kids.”

“I hate child rapists more.” Levi countered, and nodded his head towards the bloody pile of smashed bones on the streets that once used to be a human. Erwin took one look at the corpse, and ushered Levi along.

Neither of them needed to be caught at the scene of the crime. Some would say this was an abuse of power and a disregard for the legal system. Levi skirted around the bloody mess of a body and headed quickly for Erwin’s house. Erwin knelt down and grabbed the man’s wallet and pocketed it before he followed Levi. What ever cash the man had on him would come in handy for what ever medical bills the boy might end up requiring.

Erwin looked to Armin, who had been unusually quiet since he touched at Levi's face. The little blonde was limp but not asleep, while his legs dangled uselessly over Levi’s arm. Those pained blue eyes looked up, and met with Erwin’s. Had Armin felt Erwin’s stare? It was not the first time that Armin had communicated without words and Erwin suspected it would not be the last time either.

“Armin informed me that he has no home to return to so for now, we’re bringing him to my place. We will care for him however we can and in the morning, we can take him to a proper doctor. And after that…we’ll play the game by ear.” Erwin strategized, thinking ahead to what they could, and would do for Armin. He noticed the way Armin tensed at the mention of a doctor. It was not unusual for children to fear doctors, so Erwin did not think further into the matter.

“An orphan?” Levi repeated, and looked down at Armin who was clutching his grey uniform tightly, causing his knuckles to lighten to a cloudy white hue. _Is he from the Underground_?  Levi wondered, thinking he might have something in common with this tortured, half dazed brat.

“That’s all he told me, other than his name.” Erwin confirmed, and eyed the boy’s battered ankles again. He was concerned the boy would never walk again, because of how much Armin strained them during his escape plight.

“Hey, Brat. Where are you from?” Levi prodded insensitively, with no thought as to how Armin might be in too much pain to answer him.

“S-Shiganshina.” Armin replied, his voice surprisingly concise despite his condition. Pain lingered in his voice. 

“Ah. He is an orphan refugee, then.” Erwin commented, as a frown pulled his lips downwards. Levi held Armin closer, curling his fingers tighter against Armin’s body. Erwin noticed the protective way Levi was holding the child, and wondered if Levi felt a kindship towards him. Was it possible for Levi to feel towards a kid? Erwin mulled over the attractive thought. 

Both Levi and Armin were orphans, and they had each been battered by another human. Erwin figured Levi must have made that connection.

“Mhm…” Was all Armin voiced, distractedly, as he observed their surroundings. For a moment, Erwin was wondering if Armin was memorizing buildings.

 _Is he intelligent_? Erwin wondered to himself, and remembered how Armin had stared at his, and Levi’s insignia’s before deciding to approach them. Ordinary civilians would not have glanced twice at the insignia’s. They would have instantly wrote Erwin and Levi off as “military” with little care to the specifics. As if ranks and positions weren't important. As if all military personnel was just 'military.'

Little Armin had cared though, despite his young age. Although, Erwin couldn’t understand why Armin had rushed towards Levi and not him. Erwin was a prim, and proper man, with perfect form and gentle smiles. Plus, he was the commander of the survey corps which meant he had way more power than Levi did.

So why then…

“Fucking finally.” Levi muttered in relief as he hurried to Erwin’s door. He turned, and waited impatiently for Erwin to join up with him. Erwin approached, and unlocked the door. Levi headed inside first, and immediately brought Armin to the bathroom, while Erwin lit up a few oil lamps to brighten the otherwise dark house.

Once inside the bathroom, Levi set Armin down on to a long, wooden chest that stored bathing towels. Armin shifted uncomfortably in the darkness of the room, and was relieved when Erwin brought a kerosene lamp into the bathroom. Erwin held the lamp out, to illuminate Armin. Armin shied away from the brightness of the lamp, being close to him.

“You’re the medic. I’ll hold this.” Erwin told Levi, and kept the lamp close to Armin who squeezed his right eye shut against the harsh, yellow light. Levi first gripped one of Armin’s ankles, since that seemed to be where the brunt of Armin’s pain stemmed from. Armin yelped and jerked, nearly kicking Levi in his face. Levi reflexively dodged. 

“Ah, that’s no good.” Levi grumbled, as he let Armin’s ankle go. He hadn’t grabbed Armin’s ankle carelessly, but the boy had still responded strongly. “I’ll be more careful.” Levi promised, and made it a point to gently touch the swollen ankle. Armin squirmed fitfully, and elicited grunts of pain.

“You sure you don’t want me to handle him?” Erwin asked, since Levi did not have a habit of being gentle.

“Yeah, I am familiar with ankle wounds. They were pretty common in the Underground. These ones are pretty serious, but I think with enough time, he’ll heal but it’s going to take awhile.” Levi responded, as he began to inspect Armin’s wrists, that were caked in dried blood.

He recognized the wrist wounds, and burns as being caused by ropes. Levi gritted his teeth at the thought of some rich fuck tying Armin’s wrists with rope, to a bed post to do what ever ungodly thing to him that they wanted to.

It was only too obvious that with Armin’s petite frame, and age he never had had a chance to defend himself against a grown man, fat or otherwise. The only reason the men would have restrained Armin was to ignite their own ego’s, and make Armin feel completely, and utterly powerless. The mere thought made Levi feel sick. He stood up then, and pat Armin on his head.

“Stay.” Levi commanded, and stood up to leave. Armin grabbed Levi’s hand, and stared at him with pleading blue eyes. “I’ll be right back.” Levi assured Armin, as he pulled his arm away, and went scrounge up medical supplies that Erwin had around the house. Armin glanced at Erwin nervously, then began to self-consciously pick at his own tattered shirt

 _Is he scared of me_?  Erwin wondered, incredulous that _he_ was the one Armin was scared of. Erwin tried to remind himself that Armin probably was intimidated by his size, and stature, like many children were. Erwin was tall, stocky, and his mere presence demanded respect and compliance.

It certainly was not unusual then, that Armin gravitated towards Levi, who, was much shorter than Erwin, and leaner. Erwin tried to assure himself that this was why Armin was nervous around him. But his pride still stung.

“Hey.” Erwin began, as he knelt on one knee to not tower over Armin. “I won’t hurt you.” Erwin promised softly, in hopes that Armin would stop sending him nervous glances. Something undiscernible flashed in Armin’s wary eyes, then he stared at him skeptically.

“Your eyes…” Armin murmured tentatively, as if that answered everything, and averted his gaze to continue picking mindlessly at the tears in his shirt.

 _Eyes_? Perplexed, Erwin stared at Armin, having no idea of how to respond. The damn kid left him speechless. Did Armin really see through Erwin’s mask? Erwin tried to tell himself that a boy of Armin’s age, no matter how observant, could not possibly see the death hidden away in his eyes, but he still felt completely unnerved, and _exposed_.

“What’s wrong with you?” Levi questioned as he stepped into the bathroom, holding various medical supplies, creams, and medicine. He set them all on the chest that Armin sat on

“Nothing.” Erwin replied distractedly, mulling over his thoughts. As a child, he remembered being hopelessly curious, and too observant for his own good. Could Armin really be the same? Some little orphan boy from Shiganshina? A boy who already suffered untold horrors?

“Liar.” Levi scolded, and began to gently dab the blood away from Armin’s wrists with a wet towel. He would confront Erwin later because right now, Armin needed medical attention. He actually needed proper medical attention, but all Levi could do was clean him, sew him, and wrap him up.

“Ngh.” Armin winced as the rough cloth touched his tender wrist. He grit his teeth, and put a brave face on. Adrenaline was still pumping through his system, giving him minimal, fleeting pain relief.

“Quit holding your breath. You’ll feel dizzy if you don’t breathe and then I won’t know how to treat you properly.” Levi reprimanded Armin, who wasn’t coping with the pain in a recommended manner. Armin forced himself to take a breath, and tried to block the pain out.

Within moments, Levi had both of Armin’s wrists wrapped up in bandages. Armin looked at the bandages. He blinked at them. It was the first time in awhile that someone was taking care of him. 

“I am going to take your filthy shirt off, and then those pants have to go. They’re restricting blood flow to your feet at this point.” Levi said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Erwin wondered if the reason Armin was not fighting against a stranger touching him had to do with the fact that Levi was not giving him a choice.

The dark haired man was direct, blunt, and to the point. Erwin had always appreciated that about Levi. Maybe Armin did too. Erwin watched Levi pulled the shirt off of Armin’s body with relative ease. Armin offered no resistance.

Levi and Erwin both tensed upon seeing hickeys all over Armin’s neck, and shoulders. There were even few stray ones on Armin’s flat stomach. They had seen gruesome, grievious war wounds before, but Armin's little body covered in handprint bruises, and love bites made them sick. 

“How old are you?” Levi finally asked, despite the dread that strangled his gut, and he began to dab the wet towel against the hickeys in an attempt to clean them. He hoped the tense horror in his voice wouldn't be noted. 

“T-ten.” Armin hissed softly, as he shied away from the towel that was brushing against the sore spots on his neck. An exasperated noise left Erwin’s pursed lips. Levi’s frown deepened with disgust as something dark flickered through his eyes. 

Neither of them wanted to display their growing anger towards the rich motherfuckers who plucked children from the orphanages, and the farming fields just to abuse them, to entertain themselves, but Armin seemed to notice anyways because he shifted uncomfortably. 

 _When this war is over, I will hunt down every rich child rapist and ruin them_. Erwin thought to himself, and glanced to Levi who, judging by his dark eyes, seemed to have a similar thought.

“It is a rampant problem in France. I did not think it occurred here too.” Levi voiced his thoughts, as if he had known what Erwin was thinking. Levi knew about the problems in France because he was French. He had even fought for the French, until he met Erwin during the Christmas Truce. Levi had switched sides then, and hadn’t looked back since. Not because of a grievance towards his home country, but because Erwin was about the only person in the world he respected, even if they had started out as enemies. 

“Apparently it is…” Erwin muttered putting a hand over his chin to think. His other hand held the kerosene lamp, and adjusted it when Levi needed the light to shine on Armin at a different angle. Armin glanced from one man to the other, following along with the conversation. He said nothing about it though but he was intrigued all the same. 

“I do not know why they prey on children.” Levi commented then, figuring there was no harm in letting Armin be a part of the conversation. As much as Erwin and Levi would like to talk around the horror Armin went through, there was little point to it _because_ Armin endured it. Neither of them could act as if Armin was a sheltered child now because even if that had once been true, it was not now.

His words were directed at Erwin, but Armin was the one who responded. “Th-they s-s-s-said that I am t-tight.” Armin stuttered, struggling to push past the fear the memories brought unto him. "Were those other children 'tight' too? Is that why we were taken?" Armin asked, displaying a undeniable intelligence, and set of comprehension skills that most children his age wouldn't have until they were in their twenties. Erwin was impressed at the questions Armin voiced. 

“Yeah, no shit! You’re a fucking child. They are just sick fucks.” Levi exclaimed loudly, expressing his anger he had been trying to contain. Armin flinched back from the raw outburst of emotion, and cowered. Levi sighed, frustrated at himself for scaring the orphan. He hadn’t meant to scare Armin. But before he could try to reassure Armin, Erwin was kneeling down again, with his focused gaze on Armin;s wounds.

“Did they put something in you?” Erwin questioned, even though he remembered the fat-man’s words from earlier. Erwin did not think for a minute that the boy had retained his innocence, but before they said much more, he wanted to see what Armin would say.

From his perch, Armin shifted uncomfortably, and averted his gaze. “They wouldn’t stop filling me up with sticky stuff.” Armin answered, nervously rubbing his thighs together. "I am still sticky and I hurt." Armin  admitted, and whimpered, as fresh tears burned at the corners of his eyes.

Rubbing his forehead, Levi sighed and wondered if Armin had been permitted to bathe or not. Just how much "sticky" fluid did Armin have embedded in him? 

"Where do you hurt?" Levi exasperated, since he already knew the answer. He figured that should have been their  first question but apparently they were going about this ass backwards. Armin opened his mouth to respond, then he clamped his lips shut and hunched his shoulders. He shifted his legs self consciously. Erwin decided a subject change was best for Armin's comfort. 

“How long were you a captive? Do you know?” Erwin asked, while Levi resumed cleaning Armin’s wounds. There was nothing they could do about the numerous bruises marring Armin’s body up. 

“Four days.” Armin responded quickly, sure of himself because he had watched the sun rise, and fall. He fidgeted with his hands, and let his hair hover over his face. “They didn’t stop.” Armin whimpered, still hung up on the unpleasant topic from a moment ago. 

Erwin clasped his hand over Armin’s hands. “They had no right to touch you like that.” Erwin said, and before Armin could respond, he continued to drive the point into Armin’s head. “What ever they did to you, it is not your fault.”

Those simple, firm words echoed in Armin’s head. “I-I know that…” Armin murmured, as he furiously wiped fresh tears away from his face with the back of his hand. A soft sob escaped his mouth as he trembled and began to cry. Neither adult believed Armin understood the point like he said he did. 

“It is not your fault.” Erwin repeated, and with his free hand, he touched Armin’s sticky hair. He could only guess as to why the hair was sticky. It was not a good thought. At all.

"Don't." Armin whined suddenly, as he winced away from Erwin's hand. "I hurt there." Armin said, and sniffled. He mulled over Erwin's words that were meant to absolve him of blame. He frowned.  _They touched me because I am weak._ Erwin pulled his hands away. 

“This will hurt.” Levi informed the little blonde, as he began to pull at the pants. They slid off of Armin’s narrow hips with ease, and went past his knees, until the swollen ankle stopped the pants descent. One tug made Armin yip, and jerk with pain.

"No!" Armin protested, his voice hoarse. Levi abandoned the notion of pulling, and carefully used scissors to cut the pants off of Armin’s trembling frame.

A pressure was released then, and despite the grim circumstance, Armin seemed to relax. He hiccupped, and lowered his wet arm away from his face. He leaned over, to look at his bruised, swollen ankles. He frowned, fear flickering through his eyes. He always hated seeing wounds on his body. 

“You’ll be okay. Most ankle injuries heal with time.” Levi assured Armin, and set a towel over the rest of the wooden chest. “Lay down on that. You’re just going to have to trust me.” Levi said, in that gentle, but firm voice that had not yet failed to make Armin complicit.

Here Erwin was, able to command thousands of men at a time to die for him, but he could not seem to reassure a child that everything would be okay, while Levi could. It did not make sense to him. What about his eyes bothered Armin so much? Erwin still stewed about that, as he stretched the kerosene lamp over Armin’s body, to light up the area they had to acknowledge next.

But maybe, Erwin wondered, if Armin was obedient because he, even at the tender age of ten, understood he needed help. Armin glanced at Erwin, as if sensing that his thoughts were about him. Erwin blinked, and emptied his mind. 

Armin then slowly sifted on to his hands and knees in a stunning show of trust that impressed the adults. Neither of them had had to ask Armin to put himself in such a position, yet the boy had just known that was what they wanted from him. It reaffirmed Erwin’s growing suspicion that the boy really was intelligent.

“L-like this?” Armin inquired tentatively, clenching his hands into fists against the towel. He let his feet dangle off of the trunk to alleviate some of the pressure that would otherwise make him howl with pain. 

“Yeah, Kid. Hold still, grit your teeth, and let me help you.” Levi affirmed, as he began to observe the area they suspected would have damage.

Sure enough, Armin’s tiny hips were littered in handprint shaped bruises. That alone confirmed Armin’s story, that he had been held down into position. Levi _really_ did not  want to look further. He did not want to see the obvious truth. Nor did Erwin. But both of them did look. And regretted it. Armin’s thighs were caked and splattered with dried blood.

“What did they _do_ to you?” Levi asked before he could stop himself, a grimace plastered on to his face. He glanced to Erwin, who looked just as grim. In the course of their relationship, they had participated in rough sex, but never had Levi bled before. Course, Erwin never just rammed into Levi either. But still. Levi did not want to think about the sexual torture the child must have endured.

“B-baton.” Armin responded uneasily, much to the adult’s surprise. They had not expected Armin to be so forthcoming about the obvious abuse.

“Shit. That explains a lot.” Levi muttered, and carefully began to clean Armin up, scrubbing the blood off of the thighs with a wet towel. 

“This is barbaric. How many more orphaned children go through this?” Erwin wondered aloud, appalled by the sexual abuse Armin went through. No child should experience such horrors.

“Many?” Armin offered, as he winced from Levi dabbing a cloth to his abused body. He knew he had not been the only child to be sexually abused by powerful rich men.

“Well, no more.” Erwin declared and set the kerosene lamp down before taking his leave of the room. He had seen enough. As important as the war was, Erwin was making it his personal mission to put a stop to the child sex rings on the side. Whatever free time he had, he would be figuring out who all was involved, and how to have the motherfuckers murdered on the sly.

“You’re not a hero.” Levi called after Erwin, and with delicate care, he cleaned Armin’s red, swollen hole. Armin hissed and wiggled uncomfortably, feeling the sharp pain of penetration. He squeezed his eyes shut, and let silent tears trickle down his cheeks. He could not contain the agonized cries when Levi’s wet towel-clothed finger went deeper into him. “Did they ever let you bathe?” Levi asked, since Armin was a filthy mess.

Armin shook his head. “N-none of the ch-children are allowed to b-bathe. I s-saw one kid succumb to infections.” Armin recalled, with a fearful shudder.

“Gross.” Levi responded, as he pulled the towel into the light of the lamp. There was blood on it, and Levi suspected cum. He set the towel aside with a frustrated sigh, and looked at the sewing materials he had. He stood up then. “Stay here.” Levi told the kid, and wandered into the rest of the house.

Levi found Erwin in his study. “Hey. The kid needs something for pain.” Levi said announcing his presence. Erwin looked up from a few newspaper clippings. “I want to give him codamie.” Levi stated, as he leaned against the doorframe.

“Absolutely not.” Erwin replied firmly, and stood up. “I have some asprin in the kitchen. Give him some of that.” Erwin told him, and went into the kitchen. Levi rolled his eyes and followed Erwin grumpily.

“You saw his injuries. Codamie will take his pain away. Asprin will only dull the hurt.” Levi argued, while Erwin grabbed a bag out from a cupboard.

“Codamie is a highly illegal drug. How do you even fucking have it?” Erwin asked, and grabbed a pill out from the bag. Levi shut up fast, and averted his gaze. “Nevermind. I don’t want to know.” Erwin decided, and then handed the pill to Levi. “If I find out that you go behind my back and give him codamie, we will have a serious problem.” Erwin warned Levi who took the pill.

“Shouldn’t have asked you.” Levi grumbled as he made to return to Armin. Erwin grabbed his arm.

“You…don’t take codamie, do you?” Erwin questioned, his anger giving way to concern as his shoulders slackened. Levi jerked his arm free.

“Only when the nightmares won’t let me sleep.” Levi admitted softly, and hurried back to Armin. He tried to ignore Erwin’s worried sigh and focus on the task at hand.

He readied the coal burning boiler that generated hot water through the plumbing throughout the house, and returned to the bathroom, where Armin was laying on his side, and let his legs dangle off of the chest to relieve the agonizing pressure that had been making his mind numb with pain. 

Levi readied the bath first, then turned his attention to the battered child. There was no way that a perverted rich man would have let a boy he was playing with go. Armin must have escaped on his own. Levi decided he really wanted to hear about the great escape because few abducted adults escaped their captors so how did a child with sprained ankles flee? 

"Here. Drink this and swallow these." Levi told the miserable boy, lax and dull from pain, and shock. Armin looked up at the offered cup, and pills. He slowly sat up, mindful to not knock his ankles against the chest. His slow movements reminded Levi he should have just fed Codaime to the kid. 

"O-okay." Armin mumbled obediently, as he reached for the cup and the pills with his trembling arm. His voice was weak and raspy, while his lids drooped over his dull blue orbs. He was tired, and sore now that the adrenaline was fading. 

. . .

“What are we going to do?” Levi asked Erwin, as he leaned against the wall of Erwin’s study and crossed his arms over his chest. Erwin shook his head left, and then right.

“We can not report the incident. If the perpetrators find out Armin went to the police, they will hunt him down and kill him. That is also why we can not just hand him over to an orphanage, where he would have no protection from being kidnapped again.” Erwin responded, voicing his thoughts on the matter, that he had been thinking about for awhile. His own arms were crossed over the desk, and his face was grim.

“So what, are you suggesting we become parents?” Levi scoffed, in jest.

“That is exactly what I am suggesting.” Erwin affirmed, and turned to Levi finally. Levi stopped laughing, and became tense. “I know you still have connections in the underground. I want forged papers that declare that Armin is my legitimate son from a woman long deceased. Keep his first name. Make him a Smith. And get it done right. I will pay the cost.” Erwin explained, his firm tone leaving no room for argument.

“You are not joking.” Levi muttered, irritated his joke had back fired on him.

“I will take him in as if he were my own, and turn him into a strategist. He already exhibits surprising intellect, and I want to see just how far I can expand his mind…once he recovers from the harrowing torture he suffered.” Erwin added, having decided hours ago that Armin would live with him from now on.

“Fuck. Can’t we let him be a kid?” Levi inquired, and glanced back to the rest of the house where Armin was sleeping in Erwin’s bed. Levi had bathed the little blonde, and put him to bed a few minutes ago.

“Your concern is part of why I am keeping him with us. He’s quite attached to you anyways.” Erwin pointed out, and pushed the chair back to stand up.

“Ugh, Sina only knows why.” Levi grumbled, and followed Erwin into the hallway.

“You did put him in my room?” Erwin questioned, despite the fact he was already heading for the bedroom.

“Yeah. He told me he was tired, that, he rarely slept over these last few days. The men kept waking him to ‘break him in’.” Levi replied with a disgusted grimace. Erwin frowned at the news.

The depravity of men knew no bounds.

Erwin opened the door and peered inside. Armin was laying on his side, facing them. From his soft, quiet breaths, Erwin decided the kid was indeed asleep. He walked over, and stroked Armin’s cheek, wet from tears. Even asleep, Armin winced away from the touch. 

“You are safe now.” Erwin promised, and shut the lamp off. “We’ll let him sleep here tonight. We can both fit on the couch if we cuddle.” Erwin told Levi, and exited the room. Levi grunted at the thought.

“Or I could go home.” Levi suggested, as he followed Erwin into the living room.

“We both know Armin will want to see you when he wakes up in the morning.” Erwin responded, and plopped down on to the couch. Levi pushed his shoes off of his feet, and settled down next to Erwin, and then stretched himself out. Erwin slid one arm underneath Levi, and draped his other arm over his lover.

“Why? I am not nice to him.” Levi said, exasperated the little blonde seemed to think that he was a good guy.

“No, you are not. But do you really take codaime?” Erwin questioned, still hung up on the fact that Levi had alluded to using illegal drugs.

“Fuck yeah. But not when I am working.” Levi swore, and rested against Erwin’s sturdy body. Erwin pursed his lips together with displeasure.

“If you ever bring that into my home again, I’ll throw you out. I do not want Armin exposed to that.” Erwin stated, already sounding the part of a concerned father figure.

“Fine. But you’re going to have to give me an alternative when I can’t sleep at night then.” Levi countered, and closed his eyes, ready to put the awful day behind him.

“Will do.” Erwin swore, and laid with Levi.

They didn’t say anything else that night, each lost in their own thoughts of what the future would hold now that a little child would be dependent upon them for food, and security.

The only thing they both understood was that their uncertain future would be a difficult one.

**Author's Note:**

> When I wrote the story, I did not realize that the military uniforms I wrote about are probably the /current/ version of German military uniforms (though it is dependent on the branch) and are thus probably not reflective of the World War 1 Era. Oops. I may be a history buff, but I did not bog myself down in the little details of who had wooden teeth and what year did this or that happened. I understand the causes, the why's, and the effects. None of which are reflective here 'cuz this ain't a historical fanfiction. 
> 
> I never expanded on it but Armin escaped his captors because he is clever, and is used to a certain amount of pain from being bullied as a child. Obviously, the pain he endured in the home(s) of rich men were worse then anything he ever could have imagined but he knew if he did not escape when he did, the pain be damned, he would die there so he pushed past the pain and let shock, and adrenaline lead him out of the house, and on to the streets. He probably fell a lot.
> 
> One last thing to note, I have no problem with fat people. The man is fat because he is rich, and thereby important. In history, fat people were attractive because it meant they had money. They were not one of the starving peasants. But, a lot of fat people do not have a habit of running, nor exercising. (Whitney is an exception) That is important too, for this story, because, if the man had been able-bodied, Armin never would have escaped. It was only because the unnamed man was fat and unhealthy that he had difficulty keeping up with Armin. (Although, it's important to note too that if Erwin and Levi hadn't been around, Armin eventually would have been caught because adrenaline can only block out so much pain at a time) 
> 
> I suppose you could say that Marquis De Sade gave me some of the inspiration for this, which I do reference in the story. More particularly, Levi mentions the child-sex rings in France. Marquis De Sade wrote about. That the nobles in France (I don't think he used their actual names but I could be wrong!) had a habit of taking children for sex slaves for a time. I am positive the French nobles were not the only ones that engaged in the perverted past time either so hence, here's this story, taking place in Germany. Even though now that I think about it, I don't remember if Germany had nobles. So if not, just replace the word "noble" with German Big Wigs. (Like I said, I don't do small details) 
> 
> Does anyone want a second chapter? I kind of felt it best to leave the rest up to your imaginations but I figured I'd ask.


End file.
